As of January 31, 2023, a total of 366,675 Philippine Identification (PhilID) cards were already delivered in La Union through the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost).

The issuance of PhilID/PhilSys Number (PSN) is Step 3 of the PhilSys three-step registration process and marks the successful registration of PhilSys registrants. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) conducts the first two steps of the PhilSys registration: Step 1 is the collection of demographic data and appointment setting while Step 2 is the validation of demographic data and capture of biometric information.

The PhilID cards are printed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and are delivered by the PHLPost, the official delivery partner of PhilSys. The third and final step of the PhilSys registration, which is the distribution of PhilID cards and PSN, was first launched in May 2021. 

Under the Republic Act No. 11055 or the Philippine Identification System Act, the PhilID card shall serve as the official government-issued identification document of cardholders in dealing with all National Government Agencies (NGAs), Local Government Units (LGUs), Government-Owned or Controlled Corporations (GOCCs), Government Financial Institutions (GFIs), State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), and all private sector entities.

The 16- digit PhilID Card Number (PCN) is printed conspicuously on the front face of the PhilID card, essentially a public and replaceable token of the PSN that is valid for the life of the PhilID card, and is intended to be used by the public when transacting with government or private institutions.

For personal data protection, tokenization of the PSN has been adopted as a key privacy-by-design and security strategy of the PhilSys. The permanent and irrevocable 12-digit PSN is microprinted on the back face of a registered person’s PhilID, which allows the registered person to retrieve their PSN when needed but also, importantly, to prevent others from being able to easily see or capture the PSN.

Registered persons are advised not to use their PSN for transactions but instead to use their PCN. Similarly, government agencies and private entities should not request or seed the PSN.

Further, the non-inclusion of a handwritten signature as part of the PhilID was deliberate and aligns with other national ID systems. This intends to promote greater security in transactions through stronger methods of verification and lower risks of forgery, incentivize the use of digital technologies and more modern approaches for identity verification, and ensure the PhilID remains universally accessible and usable for all Filipinos.

For security purposes, the PhilSys offers identity verification through https://verify.philsys.gov.ph. The use of the PhilSys Check (PhilSys ✓) would require presentation of PhilID, scanning the QR Code printed at the back of the PhilID, and matching of the data stored in the QR Code to validate the identity of the registered person against the data printed on the face of the PhilID. The embedded public key in the PhilSys Check website decrypts the digital signature embedded in the PhilID QR Code and checks if it is active or revoked.

The PSA continues its effort to campaign to stakeholders to accept the PhilID as a valid proof of identity subject to authentication.

SGD. DANITES E. TEÑIDO, Ph.D.
Chief Statistical Specialist

/MBL